Narikolor Laru, Gamosa and Assamese announcements: Air India flight’s heartwarming cultural welcome marks T2 debut at Guwahati Airport

Air India’s first flight to the newly inaugurated Terminal 2 of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport was marked by a distinct Assamese flavour on March 16, as the airline blended aviation with local culture.

Flight AI 879 from Delhi, which departed at 6:45 am, became the first Air India service to land at 9:00 am at Terminal 2 (T2). The occasion was made special with in-flight announcements in Assamese, traditional narikolor laru served as part of the menu, and a gamosa felicitation for the first guest to check in at the new terminal.

In a statement, Air India said it introduced the Assamese elements to celebrate its move to the new terminal and honour the local culture.

“We had an Assamese touch in our first Air India flight to the new Guwahati terminal today, announcement in Assamese, narikolor laru as part of the menu, and a gamosa felicitation for the first guest who checked in,” the airline said.

From March 16, both Air India and Air India Express have shifted operations from Terminal 1 (T1) to the newly inaugurated Terminal 2 at the Guwahati airport.

The return flight AI 880 to Delhi at 9:50 am was Air India’s first departure from T2, while Air India Express flight IX1517 from Kolkata was its first arrival at the new terminal. The same flight’s onward journey to Imphal marked the airline’s first departure from T2.

Together, the two airlines will operate 38 daily flights to and from Terminal 2. While Air India runs two daily return flights between Delhi and Guwahati, Air India Express connects the city with 17 daily flights to destinations including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jaipur and Kolkata.

The ceremonial Assamese welcome at T2 not only marked an operational shift but also highlighted efforts to integrate regional identity into passenger experience at one of the Northeast’s busiest airports.